If you weren't born between 1940 and 1955, and you are familiar with "Ballad of Davy Crockett,"

[raccoon]

please check in here and explain how you came to be familiar with the song.

(I was born in that date range, that's how I know the song.)


(Edited to change birth years. At first I said, "If you weren't born between 1946 and 1964, "....
That's the date range I've heard for boomers. But since the Davy Crockett film was in 1955,
I think a different range of years makes more sense. Granted, an infant born in '55 may not remember the song, but
anyway, I hope you follow my general idea.)

[Dr. Strange]

1. I think I heard it in preschool...

during record time.

[hunter]

2. Dirty middle school play yard lyrics.

[LadyHawkAZ]

3. I wasn't born in that date range, but my siblings were

Last edited Tue May 28, 2013, 07:28 PM - Edit history (1)

I also know "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" and "The Battle of New Orleans", for the same reason.

ETA my siblings were born in the first date range.

[Phentex]

17. I'm thinking the same thing...

plus I had a brother who was into music and jingles and changing their words so I think that's how I've come to know some older tunes.

[Xithras]

4. Reruns and cultural echoes.

It's like the themesong to the Mickey Mouse Club "M-I-C...See you real soon". That song hasn't been used in any show in around 35 years, and yet there are tons of twentysomethings who know every word (or letter) of it. Some TV shows and songs become embedded into our culture long after they go off the air. Sometimes it's because of reruns, and sometimes it's just because the show was so popular that people still discussed it long after it left the air. It's the same reason that I can whistle every note of the Andy Griffith Show themesong, even though that show went off the air when my mother was still in middle school.

[olddots]

5. the song went so viral that I remember the first verse and chorus

the coonskin cap came in several versions from expensive to absurdly expensive , the whole thing was STAR WARS 1955 .

thanks pal now I have the tune in my head .

[raccoon]

10. So do I--and why should I be the only one? nt

[KamaAina]

6. Reagan-era Mark Russell parody

"We know it's a Trojan horse, but why did you tell them?
Davey, Davey Stockman, why did you tell them?"

(David Stockman was St. Raygun's budget director)

[Aristus]

7. Saturday afternoon TV.

And repeats of The Wonderful World of Disney.

Plus, a local movie theater ran a feature film made up of the bulk of the episodes of the Disney TV show.

[cyberswede]

8. Older siblings were born in that range.

We probably had an LP with that song on it around the house when I was a kid.

I'm a GenXer, but most of my siblings are Boomers, so I identify with more Boomer stuff than GenX stuff.

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. My dad.

He still whistles/sings it when he's puttering around.

[Populist_Prole]

11. Born in '62: Never heard of it before

Real cultural cretin, me.

[In_The_Wind]

12. Born in '48. First time I heard it was on TV.

[RebelOne]

13. I was born in 1939 and remember the song well

along with the TV show, which I watched faithfully.

[Brother Buzz]

14. I was so there. TV, of course

Remember, Disneyland opened that year, too. Davy Crockett was a super vehicle for Walt to pitch Disneyland, and as they say, "the rest is history".

I didn't make my pilgrimage to Disneyland until the next year, 1956.

[One_Life_To_Give]

15. Disney

I was born shortly after. Recall seeing/hearing the Ballad of Davey Crockett and associated movies on Sunday Nights Wonderful World of Disney. Was a staple in my house in the late 60's.

On edit I think the theme was also featured in Disney World's Frontierland.

[whistler162]

18. Same here.

[kentauros]

21. Definitely on "The Wonderful World of Disney"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_anthology_television_series

[Auggie]

24. Yeah, Disney on Sunday nights

[harmonicon]

16. I was born in '78.

It's just a song that's always been around, as far as I remember. I have no memory of a time before I knew it, though right now I can only think of the hook/refrain.

[Tabasco_Dave]

19. Syndicated reruns. n/t

[struggle4progress]

20. Older kids knew it

[pinboy3niner]

22. Hell, I had the outfit!

There's a family photo somewhere of my brother and me dressed up in our coonskin caps, fringed faux-buckskin shirts (with pic of Fess Parker as Davy on the breast), and b'ar rifles.

[Paulie]

23. Same way ya learn to Meet me in St Louis

Reruns of old movies. I'm from the 70's.

[Demo_Chris]

25. Reruns. nt

[krispos42]

26. "Back to the Future"

It was the song playing when Marty McFly was walking past a record store to go to the café. I think, at least.

I remember hearing it, and there was a sign on the sidewalk advertising the song.

[Bertha Venation]

27. A friend told me

about how badly she wanted to learn to play the song on the piano. She begged her parents to get her the sheet music, and they did. She was five years old and in absolute heaven once she got it. She also had a coonskin hat.